Mel’s seven step always perfect Holiday Roast Turkey

12 – 18 lb turkey

Brine For the cavity A gallon of water 1 large onion 1 cup of brown sugar 1 lemon ½ cup salt 1 head of garlic ¼ cup garlic powder 1 cinnamon stick ¼ cup onion powder 5 ribs of celery Small bottle hot sauce 1 cup real maple syrup Basting liquid ¼ cup olive oil, Under the skin ½ cup orange juice 2 sticks soften butter 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard ¼ cup fresh rosemary chopped fine ½ cup maple syrup ¼ cup fresh basil chopped fine ½ cup of jack Daniels Honey

I am constantly asked what the secret to my turkey is. There is no secret it is all about doing it right from the start.

Step one: If using a frozen turkey make sure it is thawed completely and kept refrigerated.

Step two: I take a 5 gallon bucket line it with a big plastic bag and put a gallon of water, a cup of brown sugar, a cup of maple syrup, a half a cup of salt, a ¼ cup onion powder, ¼ cup garlic powder and a small bottle of hot sauce. I mix this together add the turkey and leave over night. Make sure the brine gets to the inside of the turkey and covers all of the surface areas. Leave refrigerated overnight (at least 12 hours.) The flavors go all the way through the turkey this way.

Step three: remove the turkey from the brine and with a clean towel pat dry.

Step four: in a bowl mix together 2 sticks of soften butter, a handful of fresh rosemary chopped fine, fresh thyme with the stem removed, and some fresh basal chopped fine. Mix the butter and the herbs together.

Step five: separate the turkey from the skin without tearing and push as much of the herb butter under the skin as you can. When you get to the legs you need to make a small slit so you can get the butter under the skin.

Step six: In the cavity of the turkey, place a large onion quartered, a head of garlic, an orange quartered, five ribs of celery, a cinnamon stick, and a lemon quartered. Tie the legs shut so the flavor filling does not come out. Place in a rack in a roasting pan breast side down so that air circulates around your bird. After two hours you want to turn the bird over so that the entire bird gets brown.

Step seven: Combine together ¼ cup olive oil, ½ cup orange juice, 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, ½ cup maple syrup ½ cup of jack Daniels Honey. Rub this over the turkey and baste the turkey with this liquid every 1/3 hour. This will give the turkey a crispy skin and turn it golden brown.

Bake at 250F for 20 mins per pound or until when you slice into the leg joint the juice is clear. When you take the turkey out of the oven cover with foil and allow to rest 20 mins before carving